Saturday, February 23, 2008

Essence.com: Why should people consider taking a harder look at the Green Party?

Cynthia McKinney: As I travel, talking to Americans across the country, I’ve learned that there is life outside of the two-party paradigm. We have a generation of folks who watched in horror as young people protested the Vietnam War outside of the Democratic National Convention and saw how they were subsequently treated. That was a tipping point for a lot of people. Today, some feel that their votes won’t be counted because of election integrity. There are people who want to see an end to the war, and that hasn’t happened, despite the Democratic majority in Congress. So you have all these different people who have reached the same conclusion that the two-party paradigm doesn’t serve their interests anymore. But let’s not withdraw from it; let’s change it.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

The Arizona Greens have less than 3 weeks to finish their ballot access drive and they need additional financial donations, so they can hire more petitioners! Nationwide, we’re closing in on our fundraising goal for them, but we still need more donations!

So please donate TODAY, as time is of the essence!(Any amount would be fine!).

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Ever wonder what happens to your garbage after it’s picked up? Of course, Detroiters know our garbage is burned in the huge incinerator at Russell and Ferry near Eastern Market. But, what happens to the garbage after it’s burned? Like all matter, it doesn’t just disappear and, in this case, it’s transformed into poisonous gases that pollute the air.

The Detroit incinerator is one of the largest sources of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides in Wayne County. These pollutants aggravate asthma and other respiratory illnesses and contribute to acid rain. Detroit’s highest asthma hospitalization rates are in the neighborhoods closest to the incinerator. Wayne County is fifth in the country in asthma-related deaths among the African American population and has some of the worst air quality in the country.

The benefits of recycling go beyond reducing waste. Recycling conserves more energy than incineration can produce, by creating new products from recycled rather than new materials, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Using less energy means lower greenhouse gas emissions (the cause of global warming). Additionally, recycling of paper allows more trees to remain standing in forests, thus reducing our carbon footprint on the planet.

In January 2007 the Detroit City Council Environmental and Recycling Task Force approved a plan for the future of Detroit's solid waste management. The plan calls for closing Detroit's trash incinerator in 2009. The report emphasizes the creation of jobs and improvements in public health through pollution prevention by implementing a comprehensive recycling program. According to Waste News, Detroit is the only city of the thirty largest cities in the United States that does not have any form of curbside recycling. The report conservatively estimates that a 50% recycling rate in Detroit would likely result in creating more than 1,000 new jobs in the city of Detroit.

Until the incinerator is shut down and until Detroit has curbside recycling, what can we do? We can separate our recyclable items from the trash and take them to a drop-off center. There are several recycling centers in the city area. Neighbors can help one another by carpooling to recycling drop off locations. Recyclean is the recycling contractor for the city with a monthly eastside drop off at Jefferson and Chalmers. Paper can be recycled in the green and yellow bin behind 2300 Marseille (a fundraiser for Hanstein School). (See listing on this page for drop off locations and details of recyclable materials.)

Answer the CallPlease join us for the Detroit area’s fourth Moratorium march. A national call has gone for local groups to stage peace events on the third Friday of each month. 100 people marched down Mack on January 18. Lets continue to increase our numbers.

Meeting PlaceGather at the Student Center for rally at 4 PM. March will begin at 5PM, and will return to the Student Center.

The MarchThe route will follow Woodward into Detroit’s cultural district, passing by the Detroit Institute of Arts. It will proceed to MLK Drive, turn right, then right again on Cass, back to the student center.

More InformationFor more information, contact Hans Barbe by email at hans3755@gmail.com or call 313-333-7104.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

On February 6, residents of Forest Arms Apartments (located on the corner of Second and Forest just south of Wayne State) were evacuated due to a five-alarm fire that swept the top two floors of the building. The building sustained severe fire and water damage. The Forest Arms Apartments were home to over a hundred residents as well as People's Records and Amsterdam Espresso.

In an effort to help out those people and businesses in their hour of need, we are pooling our resources and talents to organize the following event:

A Benefit Show for the Victims of the Forest Arms Apartment Fire

Featuring Los Minstrels del Diablo and A Stowaway performing live, and DJs milieu, dirty D, Cirque and JOHNb, as well as the resident People's Records DJs.

There will also be sideshow entertainment provided by Tim TV,bellydancing by Chantal and other performances TBA.

The benefit will be from 7:00pm until 2:00am on Friday, February 15th at the Atwater Block Brewery, 237 Joseph Campau, Detroit, MI.

There will be a $5 suggested minimum donation at the door, but please give what you can. The venue, the sound system, and all the performances are being provided at no cost, so 100% of the funds donated will go directly to the victims of the Forest Arms Apartment Fire.

Please come and show your support!

For more information please contact benefit@alittlebluedot.com

Sound system provided by Lyve Productions.This event is being organized by a little blue dot productions.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

"Former Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney is now seeking the Green Party presidential nomination. McKinney is among the most outspoken critics of the Bush administration, and one of her last measures in office was to introduce a bill for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. She joins us to talk about her new campaign and why she left the Democratic Party after more than a decade in public office"